Gad Elmaleh

Gad Elmaleh is a Moroccan-French stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker known for his work in international comedy, French cinema, and multilingual performance. Raised in a Sephardic Jewish household in Casablanca, Elmaleh grew up speaking Moroccan Arabic, Hebrew, English, and French, a multilingual background that has shaped his comedic style. After studying political science in Montreal and working in radio and nightclubs, he moved to Paris to train at Cours Florent drama school, launching a career that spans continents and languages.

Elmaleh gained recognition with a series of one-man shows that resonated with French audiences. His debut, "Décalages," drew on his experiences between Montreal and Paris, while "La Vie Normale" marked his first performance at Olympia in Paris. He is credited with introducing the American stand-up style to France, incorporating improvisation and audience interaction. Subsequent shows, including "L'Autre c'est moi" and "Papa est en haut," achieved significant commercial success, with "Papa est en haut" selling over 1 million tickets and running for seven consecutive weeks at Olympia. His solo show "D'Ailleurs" attracted more than 500,000 spectators across 110 sold-out performances.

Elmaleh's film career includes starring roles in "The Valet," "Priceless," and his directorial debut "Coco." He appeared in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin," and the Adam Sandler comedy "Jack and Jill." He also took on a dramatic role in Costa-Gavras's political thriller "Capital." Elmaleh's international presence expanded with an appearance on Jerry Seinfeld's video series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."

To reach English-speaking audiences, Elmaleh developed "Oh My Gad," a stand-up show performed entirely in English, which launched at Joe's Pub in New York and led to more than 70 sold-out shows across the United States. He followed with the English-language Netflix special "Gad Elmaleh: American Dream" and the bilingual Netflix Original special "Gad Gone Wild," highlighting his ability to perform in both English and French. Elmaleh also created and starred in the Netflix comedy series "Huge in France," a semi-autobiographical show about navigating life in Los Angeles without his French celebrity status.

Elmaleh expanded into personal storytelling with the film "Stay With Us," which he co-wrote and directed. The autobiographical comedy-drama explores his relationship with faith and features his real-life family members. The film received critical attention at the Angoulême French Film Festival and was acquired for North American distribution, further establishing his reach as a filmmaker. With a career spanning stand-up, film, television, and personal narrative, Elmaleh is recognized for his versatility and global influence in comedy and entertainment.